The East

Part of the Introductions to Chinese Culture series, this book covers the great variety of unique festivals that have evolved over the course of China's long history, describing a representative selection of 42 traditional and statutory events. Like all the books in the series, it is written by a noted expert in the field, well illustrated with colour photographs and offers an ideal introductory survey for both students and general readers.

Examining Chinese art over several millennia, this unconventional volume presents reproductions or photographs of a vast range of artefacts and paintings, each one juxtaposed with another work on the facing page, and producing unexpected dialogues across time, culture and genre. Shitao's Riverbank of Peach Blossoms (c.1700), for example, is paired with a 2006 installation, Sketch the Sketch Lesson by Qiu Xiaofei, but the volume includes sculptures, ceramics, calligraphy and photographs ranging in date from prehistory to the 21st century.

There are more than 50 ethnic minorities in the People's Republic of China, most of them living in remote regions of the country. Photographer Alessandra Meniconzi has journeyed across China following the trail of traditional cultures and lifestyles from Yunnan's endless rice terraces in the deep south to the historic trading hubs in north-western Xinjiang. This magnificent collection of her colour photographs documents many traditional ways of life that could soon cease to exist.

Challenging Eurocentric theories of international relations, Kang analyses how the East Asian system functioned from the founding of the Ming dynasty in 1368 to the start of the Opium Wars in 1841, a period which saw only two large-scale conflicts between China and its neighbours. After explaining how the 'tribute system' fostered diplomatic and commercial exchange, he ends by considering the contribution of the region's formal hierarchy to the increasing stability and integration of the modern East Asian world.

The unique art inspired by Tibet's cultural amalgam of Shamanism and Buddhism is meant to be of specific use and spiritual benefit to everyone. Rawson discusses a wealth of photographs which depict not only the artistic productions of the past but also the activities of the present-day monks who continue ancient traditions, with their mandalas, mantras and meditation offering 'powerful, untarnished and coherent alternatives to Western egotistical lifestyles'.

Dispersed across India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, midnight's descendants – the generations born since the midnight partition of British India in 1947 – are the world's fastest-growing population. This first comprehensive history of this complex and inter-connected region charts its uneven and often fraught path to modernization; the volatile relationship between India and Pakistan; the rise of religious fundamentalism; the bitter wars in Kashmir and Sri Lanka; and the area's increasing influence on global economics and geopolitics.

China is both the oldest continuous civilization on Earth and an emerging economic superpower. This impressive volume assembles a team of leading scholars from Asia and the West to provide an accessible introduction to the natural, historical and cultural wonders of this vast nation. Illustrated with colour photographs throughout, it celebrates its rivers, mountains and deserts; its cities ancient and modern; its monuments such as the Great Wall; and its myriad art forms, from porcelain to jade carving.

Mount Fuji, with its majestic cone and snow-capped summit, has inspired artists and writers for centuries. This volume discusses its continuing influence, focusing on its representation in the Japanese woodblock art of Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) and Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858). Hundreds of reproductions show how the mountain has become an emblem of perfection, symmetry, spiritual balance and endurance, while the text follows the evolution of the artists' work.

One of the world's foremost historians of China, Jonathan Spence presents a concise biography of Mao Zedong, deflating myths and showing how, through relentless energy and ruthless self-confidence, Mao was able to attain so much power and hold on to it for so long. Spence likens him to a 'Lord of Misrule', turning traditional Chinese society upside down in 'a long drawn-out adventure in upheaval'.

Beginning with the reign of the Yongle emperor (1403–1424), this richly illustrated catalogue presents over 120 artefacts once owned by princes of the Ming dynasty during the period up to the death of the Jiajing emperor in 1566. Indicative of the fabulous wealth of the Ming rulers, the pieces described and photographed include gold and silver vessels, jewellery and jade, paintings, porcelain and clothing. The volume also contains essays on aspects of Ming art history and recent archaeological finds.

Dr Ernest Peake (1874-1950), the father of Mervyn Peake, was a newly qualified doctor when he was sent to China by the London Missionary Society in 1899, and he practised medicine in Hunan province and Tientsin until 1923. These memoirs describe his experience of 'the Celestial Empire' during a period that saw the violent end of Manchu rule and the start of the Chinese Republic. The memoirs are published here for the first time, with an introduction by Hilary Spurling.

Malaysia offers a striking variety of attractions for the visitor, from the high-rise skyline of the capital Kuala Lumpur to pristine beaches and rainforest trekking. Illustrated with colour photographs on every page, this attractive book gives an overview of Malaysia's geography, history, people, religion, arts and cuisine, before exploring both parts of the country: Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. Special features cover a wide range of topics, from festivals to street art.

Before giant robots, space ships, and masked super heroes filled the pages of Japanese comic books--known as manga--such characters were regularly seen on the streets of Japan in kamishibai stories. Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater tells the history of this fascinating and nearly vanished Japanese art form that paved the way for modern-day comic books, and is the missing link in the development of modern manga.

A colourful and very accessible introduction to Chinese culture, this book comprises concise, well-illustrated and richly informative articles on aspects of the country ranging from natural wonders such as the magical Stone Forest to chop sticks. Beginning with cultural icons, including calligraphy, fengshui and the four auspicious creatures, the book has chapters covering architecture, festivals, daily life, arts and crafts, legends, famous historical figures and the performing arts.

Part of the Introductions to Chinese Culture series, this book provides an accessible overview of sculptural art in China, including the Terracotta Army, Buddhist sculpture, tomb carvings, architectural sculpture, exchange with foreign cultures and sculpture in China today. Like all the books in the series, it is written by a noted expert in the field, well illustrated with colour photographs and offers an ideal introductory survey for both students and general readers.

One of the most influential artists working in the genre of ukiyo-e ('pictures of the floating world') in late 18th century Japan, Kitagawa Utamaro (c1753-1806) was renowned for his prints of beautiful women. In this book, Davis reinterprets Utamaro in the context of his times, reconstructing the place of the ukiyo-e artist within the world of the commercial print market. The study offers a new approach to issues such as the status of the artist and the construction of identity, gender, sexuality and celebrity in the Edo period.

After an introductory chapter on Japanese woodblock printing in the Edo period, its artists, schools and its influence on western art, this book presents around 90 masterpieces by key artists. The prints are in sections on beautiful women, landscapes, kabuki theatre and flora and fauna, and include such famous works as The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai, Kuniyoshi's powerful portrayals of kabuki actors and Hiroshige's Carp and River Trout from his 'Collection of Fish'.

Heir to a banking fortune, Victor Sassoon (1881–1961) assembled one of the world’s most important collections of Chinese ivory carving from his base in Shanghai. This magnificent volume presents 350 artefacts from his collection, now held in trust for the citizens of the UK. Introductory essays explore the acquisition of these exquisite ornaments, figurines, screens and sewing boxes, which range from the 2nd millennium BCE to the 20th century, and place them in their historical and cultural context.

Banaras, or Varanasi, stands on the banks of the Ganges in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is also the holiest in the Hindu religion. In these 249 photographs, the award-winning photographer Christopher Roche has captured the colours and energies of Banaras’ streets and temples, its sadhus or holy men, and the religious rites on the burning ghats of this great spiritual centre.

By the time of his death in 1975, the Chinese scholar Cheng Man-ch'ing had done much to formulate and popularize the precepts of T'ai Chi. In this elegant selection, his essays on subjects ranging from sleep, illness and health to our relation with the natural world are juxtaposed with passages from classical writers including Confucius and Mencius.

The Chinese have revered the mystery and magic of jade since antiquity. This authoritative, beautifully illustrated book draws on the author’s unparalleled collection to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date survey of 6000 years of jade carving. Part one features early jades (7000 BCE to 220 CE); Part two features carvings of flora, fauna and the human figure; Part three covers personal adornments, scholars’ objects and vessels.

China is rapidly becoming the most powerful nation on earth, and its leader, Xi Jingping, is enshrined in its constitution – an honour not seen since Chairman Mao. This succinct, accessible primer charts his rise to power and explains his world-view, his plans to eradicate poverty and extend his country’s global reach, his thoughts on China’s Communist legacy – and how far he is prepared to go to defend it.

After exploring the world of Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645), the legendary swordsman who developed the Niten ichi-ryu (two heavens) two-sword techniques, Fumon Tanaka, himself a Bushido grandmaster, traces the history of Japanese swordsmanship to the present day.

The Chinese I Ching is an ancient divination text that has been used for centuries to help people make decisions, manage relationships and find inner strength. This introductory guide provides interpretations for all 64 hexagrams.

Apprentice Japanese geishas are known as maikos and undergo a rigorous training in the traditional arts of music and dance and the wearing of strictly codified costume and make-up. This photo-essay allows a rare glimpse into the closeted world of the trainees in their traditional house in the Gion quarter of Kyoto.

The history of Netsuke – the toggles associated with the Japanese kimono – stretches back for nearly half a millennium. Early examples served a purely functional purpose, but over time they evolved into miniature works of art, often with spiritual connotations. This illustrated compendium demonstrates the affinity between Netsuke and Japan’s ancient Haiku and Waka poetry tradition, analysing the art forms side by side and noting their shared characteristics of simplicity, restraint and master craftsmanship.

This volume accompanied the first international travelling exhibition of the work of the Japanese artist Minol Araki (1928–2010). Having found fame as an industrial designer, Araki became a prolific painter later in life, producing work that amalgamated traditional Chinese and Japanese ink painting techniques with Western influences. The introductory essays are followed by highlights from his impressive body of work, including landscapes, flowers, birds and faces, and reproductions of his seals.

For some 2000 years, the educated elites of Japan and Korea learned classical Chinese poetry and adopted the Confucian aesthetic that informed it. Illustrated with almost 100 works from the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, this catalogue explores the ways in which these poems were reflected in the decorative arts, including landscape and figure painting, ornamental screens, ceramics, metalwork, lacquerware and calligraphy, and the cultural links between the nations of Southeast Asia.